Flexible coupling



NOV. 23, 1943. F; E CERISANQ 2,335,170

FLEXIBLE COUPLING Filed Nov. 28, 1941 FIG.I

MIR/ABLE curt msmvcs HXED cewrm DISTANCE.

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- lNVENT OR FRANCIS E. CERISANC} w A ORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1943 FLEXIBLE COUPLING Francis E. Ccrisano, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Sperry Gyroscope Company, 'Inc., N. Y., a corporation of New York Brooklyn, l

a Application November 28, 1941, Serial No. 420,758

. V 1 s Claims. This invention relates to flexible couplings and particularly to couplings of this character'which permit variance in the center distance between the parallel axes of the rotatably mounted members with which it is employed. When the con pling is utilized with rotatable members in the form of gears, all backlash or lost motion therebetween may be eliminated without causing binding'at any point.

An object of the invention is to provide flexibility between two rotatably mounted motion transmitting members or gears, which due to irregularity in the pitch or contacting radius of the members may be subject to binding or sticking at certain portions of the peripheral area thereof when the shaft mountings for the same are rigidly maintained. Such difllculties chiefly arise when one of the motion transmitting members is of relatively large size in comparison with the other member, the larger member by reason of problems present in its manufacture not being provided with a" perfectly uniform pitch or contacting radial dimension around 'its entire circumferential surface.

An important featureof the invention is contained in the provision with the flexible coupling of a-yielding means by which the longitudinal axis of the coupling is maintained in alignment with, the axes of the normally coaxial rotatable 7 members which it connects,

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling of this character which permits the assembly of the motion transmitting members thereof without requiring a refined adjustment of the parts.

Other objects, features and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevation view showing one way in which the improved flexible coupling may be employed for use with a driver gear and a driven gear whose axes are arranged in parallel rela tion.

Fig. 2 is a partial detail the coupling.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts of the coupling shown in Fig. 2 in which the same have been moved to an extreme position to illustrate the manner in which the coupling operates.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the complete coupling, and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view in perspective showin: each of the separate parts of the coupling in detail.

side elevation view of ber or gear I4 which With reference to Fig.1, the flexible coupling constructed in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at I0, the same being located on the shaft II of a driven member or gear I2. Driven member I2 is of relatively small pitch diameter when compared with a mempreferably constitutes the driver member in the illustrated arrangement of parts in this figure. The rotatable mounting for member I4 includes a shaft I5 and suitable bearing member I6. As herein illustrated, gears I2 and I4 are situated in the same horizontal plane. A bearing I8 receives the shaft II of the driven member I2. The axes of shafts II and I5 are arranged in parallel relation and the center distance therebetween fixed with the members I2 and I4 joined at the smallest measured dimension of the pitch radius of the large gear I4. Because of the flexible coupling I0, while the center distance between the shafts I I and I5 remains fixed, the center distance between the parallel axes of the driver I 2, respectively, is permitted to vary in accordance with the actual pitch radius of the portion of member I4 engaging member I2. Member or gear I2 consequently moves to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, in the plane of the paper to assume a position accommodating the large member I4. The coupling III provides means which normally maintains the member I2 and shaft II in coaxial 'relation so that the gear l2 will return to its initial starting position when the large member I4 permits this movement. As a consequence there is no lost motion or backlash between the illustrated gear or pinion members I4 and I2 which would be the case if the coupling were not employed. If the members I4 and I2 were mounted with a fixed center distance therebetween, the same would be positioned to contact at the approximate average pitch radius of the large gear I4. On either side of this average pitch radius dimension, which would be difficult to determine accurately in setting up the parts, it is apparent that there would be considerable undesired lost motion or playbetween the respective motion transmitting members.

In Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the driven member or gear I2 may be mounted on a short stub shaft extending from the center of the circular coupling part 20 which stub shaft is normally maintained in alignment with shaft I I.. It is preferred, however, to form the coupling part 20 as an integral and driven members I4 and part designated at 2| and a further part 212 of similar shape in which the shaft H is suitably secured by means of a set screw connection. Two grooves 23 and 24, arranged perpendicular to one another are situated in the opposite faces of the disclike central part 2|. A tongue which fits the respective grooves is provided on the surface of parts 20 and 22 as indicated at 25 and 28, thereon. Tongue 25 fits within groove-23 and tongue 26 fits within groove 24. Whenassembied for use,

the noted parts join and form a coupling which has a cylindrically shaped exterior body which.

is concentric to ,the longitudinal axis thereof. The cooperatingparts 20, 2| and 22 are arranged for relative movement in parallel planes with respect to one another so that the same permit displacement of the driven member l2, as shown in Fig. 3, from an axially aligned position in coaxial relation to shaft II, the coupling maintaining the parallel relationship of the axis of gear l2 with respect to shaft ii at all times. The peripheral surface of-the axially displaced, radially' movable, interfittedgcoupling parts may be formed in any desired geometrical shape which is symmetrically arranged about the longitudinal axis of the parts. 7 Y

Witha cylindrically shaped coupling, it is necessary to use centering means in the form of segment members 28, 29, 30and 3|, the interior faces of which engage all of the .couplingparts 20, 2|

'and'22, which parts are of the same outside diameter, so that these 'movable parts are maintained in a longitudinallyaligned position in which the common axis thereof is coaxial with the axis of shaft lLand the shaft or axis-of the gear l2. The annularly arranged segment members in the shown preferred form of the invention are spaced about the periphery of the coupling parts and are yieldably held thereagainst by means of a spring 32 which encircles the cou pling and is confined thereon bythe channels 33 located on the'exterio'r surface of each of the segment members. Eachoi' the segment members is also constructed-to Iinclude rim portions as designated at 35 by means of which the movaj ble parts. 20, 2! and 22' of the coupling fare maintained in cooperative relationship. The unlform pressure ofthe spring 32 exerted on the segment members 28 to 3|, inclusive, normally retains the movable coupling parts in the centralized position shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

As many changes could be made in the'above construction and manyapparently widely'diflen ent-embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in 5 a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: l. A flexible coupling, for normally axially aligned rotatable members, having three cooperating parts arranged for relative movement in parallel planes with respect to one another, and

yieldable centering means engaging the peripheral surface of the respective cooperating parts for normally maintaining the parts in a longitudinally. aligned position in which the axis thereof is aligned with the axes of the rotatable members. 7 2. A flexible coupling having a number of circularly shaped, longitudinally positioned, movable parts of the same outside diameter, segment membersfengaging the parts and arranged in spaced relation about the circumference thereof, and spring means common to said segment members for normally maintaining the movable parts of the coupling in longitudinally aligned relation.

3. A flexible coupling, for normally axially aligned rotatable members, having a number of cooperating parts arranged for relative movement in parallel planes with respect to one another, and radially urged, yieldable, centering means peripherally engaging the respective cooperating parts to maintain the same in aligned relation and coaxial with the rotatable members.

4. A coupling, as claimed in claim 3, in which said cooperating parts are cylindrical in shape and the centering means consists of a number of spaced segment pieces which engage the circumferential surface of the cooperatingparts.

5. A flexible coupling having a number of 40 axially displaced,"radially movable, interfitting parts with a normally common axis and periphcry, a number. of annularly arranged segment members engaging the peripheral surfaces of the parts, and a'spring wound around the 'annularly arranged segment members.

6. A flexible coupling having a number of axially displaced, radially movable interfltting parts with a normally'common axis and periphcry, a number of members arranged in encircling. v and engaging relation to the peripheral surfaces i of the parts,v and yielding means for positioning said members to maintain the engagement thereof with the parts.. e V a FRANCIS E. CERISANO. 

